One day a little boy named
Willie stood wistfully at the gates of Buckingham Palace. He longed to go in
and see the king. Between him and the king, however, were iron gates, rigid
protocol, armed soldiers and watchful police. What he wanted was quite out of
the question.
A policeman who was
ordering the lad to leave suddenly stiffened and sprang to attention as a
well-dressed, confident man approached. A brusque nod from the man, and the
policeman unlocked the gates and stood aside. “Come with me sonny,” said the
man, taking the boy’s hand. “We’re going to see the king.”
In the palace they went.
Inside were forty housemaids, fifty butlers (including one man who did nothing
but wind clocks all day), and six hundred rooms. The man remarked, “We are a
quarter mile away from the kitchens!” but he seemed to know the way and chatted
about the rooms they passed: the magnificent ballroom that contained two
majestic thrones on a raised platform; the stamp rooms that housed the world’s
most valuable collection; the Belgian suite with its forty-four rooms for the
use of state visitors; they royal wardrobe; the music room; the dining room
with a table as large as a skating rink; the dazzling green drawing room.
Willie and the man walked
on and on—to the north wing, upstairs, along endless passages, to king’s
corridor on the main floor, and into the master suite. Finally, they arrived in
the king’s presence, and the man spoke. “Hello Father. Here’s the little boy
who wants to meet you. Meet my friend Willie. Willie this is the king.” The
little boy had taken the hand of Edward, Prince of Wales, the king’s son.
Through him Willie gained access to the king.[1]
If a child you don’t know
appears on your doorstep and asks to spend the night, what would you do? Likely
you would ask his name, where he lives, find out why he is roaming the streets,
and contact his parents. On the other hand, if a youngster enters your house
escorted by your child, that child is welcome.
The same is true with God.
By becoming friends with the Son, we gain access to the Father. Jesus promised
in Matt. 10:32, “All those who stand before others and say they believe in me,
I will say before my Father in heaven that they belong to me.” In Ephesians 2:18
we read, “For through him [Jesus] we both have access in one Spirit to the
Father.” This is the reason why we are told in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with
confidence draw near to the throne of grace.”
When was the last time you
truly marveled at the privilege to call the God who taught the stars how to
sparkle your “Heavenly Father”? When was the last time you spoke to Him not out
of duty, obligation or need, but just to talk? As a child of King you have an
open door to a Father who knows no shortage and who never sleeps. The only
person who dares wake up a King at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We
have that kind of access. -DM
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